Titus 3 New
International Version - UK (NIVUK)
Saved in order to do
good
3
Remind the people to be subject to rulers and authorities, to be obedient, to
be ready to do whatever is good, 2 to slander no one, to be peaceable and
considerate, and always to be gentle towards everyone.
3
At one time we too were foolish, disobedient, deceived and enslaved by all
kinds of passions and pleasures. We lived in malice and envy, being hated and
hating one another. 4 But when the kindness and love of God our Saviour
appeared, 5 he saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but
because of his mercy. He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by
the Holy Spirit, 6 whom he poured out on us generously through Jesus Christ our
Saviour, 7 so that, having been justified by his grace, we might become heirs
having the hope of eternal life. 8 This is a trustworthy saying. And I want you
to stress these things, so that those who have trusted in God may be careful to
devote themselves to doing what is good. These things are excellent and
profitable for everyone.
9
But avoid foolish controversies and genealogies and arguments and quarrels
about the law, because these are unprofitable and useless. 10 Warn a divisive
person once, and then warn them a second time. After that, have nothing to do
with them. 11 You may be sure that such people are warped and sinful; they are
self-condemned.
Final remarks
12
As soon as I send Artemas or Tychicus to you, do your best to come to me at
Nicopolis, because I have decided to winter there. 13 Do everything you can to
help Zenas the lawyer and Apollos on their way and see that they have
everything they need. 14 Our people must learn to devote themselves to doing
what is good, in order to provide for urgent needs and not live unproductive
lives.
15
Everyone with me sends you greetings. Greet those who love us in the faith.
Grace
be with you all.
Justification
is one of the key themes of Paul’s New Testament writings or epistles, and
today Justification is one of the essential doctrines of the Christian Faith,
it is so important and relevant to us , we need to examine and understand this
part of Christian Theology in depth. Now us let us examine some key scriptures
and thoughts on Justification.
What
does Justification mean to you ?
Do you know what time it
is? From Elim Missions.
Titus 3
As
soon as I send Artemas or Tychicus to you, do your best to come to me at
Nicopolis, because I have decided to winter there, v12.
There
is a time to change personnel.
Paul
was sending 2 workers to take over from Titus. There are times for a fresh pair
of legs, different perspectives. There are times when we need to make a
substitute and get people off the field before they get burnt out or injured.
Maybe it is time for you to change?
There
is a time for extra effort.
Paul
was asking Titus to do all he could to come to him at Nicopolis. That means
don't give up at the first obstacle. It won't be a smooth path perhaps but
adjust, tighten your belt, work smarter, dig in deep and just finish what needs
finishing. Get where you should be. Maybe it is time for you to give it one big
final effort?
There
is a time for quietness.
Paul
says he is wintering there in Nicopolis. It is a time to come aside, to dig
deep, to ascertain the journey. Paul was not at that place yet. He had decided
to winter there. Where will you winter? Do you have such a place to go to? Have
you scheduled into your seasons of life a time when there is no loud activity,
nothing much to report on, it is winter? Maybe it is time for you to plan for
winter?
Matthew Henry's
Commentary
Verses 1-8
(1.)
We have here the prime author of our salvation—God the Father, therefore termed
here God our Saviour. All things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself
by Jesus Christ, 2 Cor. 5:18. All things belonging to the new creation, and
recovery of fallen man to life and happiness, of which the apostle is there
speaking, all these things are of God the Father, as contriver and beginner of
this work. There is an order in acting, as in subsisting. The Father begins,
the Son manages, and the Holy Spirit works and perfects all. God (namely, the
Father) is a Saviour by Christ, through the Spirit. John 3:16; God so loved the
world as to give his only begotten Son, that whoever believes in him might not
perish, but have everlasting life. He is the Father of Christ, and through him
the Father of mercies; all spiritual blessings are by Christ from him, Eph.
1:3. We joy in God through Jesus Christ, Rom. 5:11. And with one mind, and one
mouth, glorify God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, Rom. 15:5.
(2.)
The spring and rise of it—the divine philanthropy, or kindness and love of God
to man. By grace we are saved from First to last. This is the ground and
motive. God’s pity and mercy to man in misery were the first wheel, or rather
the Spirit in the wheels, that sets and keeps them all in motion. God is not,
cannot be, moved by any thing out of himself. The occasion is in man, namely, his
misery and wretchedness. Sin bringing that misery, wrath might have issued out
rather than compassion; but God, knowing how to adjust all with his own honour
and perfections, would pity and save rather than destroy. He delights in mercy.
Where sin abounded, grace did much more abound. We read of riches of goodness
and mercy, Rom. 2:4; Eph. 2:7. Let us acknowledge this, and give him the glory
of it, not turning it to wantonness, but to thankfulness and obedience.
(3.)
Here is the means, or instrumental cause—the shining out of this love and grace
of God in the gospel, after it appeared, that is, in the word. The appearing of
love and grace has, through the Spirit, great virtue to soften and change and
turn to God, and so is the power of God to salvation to every one that
believeth. Thus having asserted God to be the author, his free grace the
spring, and the manifestation of this in the gospel the means of salvation,
that the honour of all still may be the better secured to him,
(4.)
False grounds and motives are here removed: Not by works of righteousness which
we have done, but according to his mercy, he saved us; not for foreseen works
of ours, but his own free grace and mercy alone. Works must be in the saved
(where there is room for it), but not among the causes of his salvation; they
are the way to the kingdom, not the meriting price of it; all is upon the
principle of undeserved favour and mercy from first to last. Election is of
grace: we are chosen to be holy, not because it was antecedently seen that we
should be so, Eph. 1:4. It is the fruit, not the cause, of election: God hath
from the beginning chosen you to salvation through sanctification of the Spirit
and belief of the truth, 2 Thess. 2:13. So effectual calling, in which election
breaks out, and is first seen: He hath saved us, and called us with a holy
calling; not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and
grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began, 2 Tim. 1:9.
We are justified freely by grace (Rom. 3:24), and sanctified and saved by
grace: By grace you are saved, through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is
the gift of God, Eph. 2:8. Faith and all saving graces are God’s free gift and
his work; the beginning, increase, and perfection of them in glory, all are
from him. In building men up to be a holy temple unto God, from the foundation
to the top-stone, we must cry nothing but Grace, grace unto it. It is not of
works, lest any man should boast; but of grace, that he who glorieth should
glory only in the Lord. Thus the true cause is shown, and the false removed.
(5.)
Here is the formal cause of salvation, or that wherein it lies, the beginnings
of it at least—in regeneration or spiritual renewing, as it is here called. Old
things pass away, and all things become new, in a moral and spiritual, not in a
physical and natural, sense. It is the same man, but with other dispositions
and habits; evil ones are done away, as to the prevalency of them at present;
and all remains of them in due time will be so, when the work shall be
perfected in heaven. A new prevailing principle of grace and holiness is
wrought, which inclines, and sways, and governs, and makes the man a new man, a
new creature, having new thoughts, desires, and affections, a new and holy turn
of life and actions; the life of God in man, not only from God in a special
manner, but conformed and tending to him. Here is salvation begun, and which
will be growing and increasing to perfection; therefore it is said, He saved
us. What is so begun, as sure to be perfected in time, is expressed as if it
already were so. Let us look to this therefore without delay; we must be
initially saved now, by regeneration, if on good ground we would expect
complete salvation in heaven. The change then will be but in degree, not in
kind. Grace is glory begun, as glory is but grace in its perfection. How few
mind this! Most act as if they were afraid to be happy before the time; they
would have heaven, they pretend, at last, yet care not for holiness now; that
is, they would have the end without the beginning; so absurd are sinners. But
without regeneration, that is, the first resurrection, there is no attaining
the second glorious one, the resurrection of the just. Here then is formal
salvation, in the new divine life wrought by the gospel.
The IVP New Testament
Commentary Series
Salvation and Change
(3:5-7)
Verses
5-7 explain in rich detail and from several perspectives the nature of the
salvation that this event brought.
Salvation
and God's mercy (3:5). First, the cause of our salvation is solely God's mercy.
While from the standpoint of human need Jesus' crucifixion could be explained
as "for our sins" (1 Cor 15:3), from the standpoint of God's love it
was because of his mercy. This mercy of God is the equivalent of the
loving-kindness of God that in the Old Testament (Hebrew hesed) formed the
basis of the covenant relationship with Israel. Salvation in Christ has its
origin in the very same place. It is God reaching toward humankind to put us
into relation with himself, not (as the phrase not because of righteous things
we had done shows) the reverse. Human effort is excluded: salvation is not
something that a person can merit (Rom 3:21-28; Gal 3:3-9; Eph 2:8-9; 2 Tim
1:9).
Salvation
and the Holy Spirit (3:5-6). Second, it is the Holy Spirit who applies
salvation to us. But the three metaphors that occur in this connection—washing,
rebirth and renewal—require a closer look. If you have been in the church for a
while, you probably feel comfortable with such terms; they have become
Christian jargon, and we hardly question their meaning. In fact, though, such
words put off outsiders to the faith, and our frequent easy use
of
such jargon leaves them rightly wondering whether we really do understand what
we believe.
Salvation
and hope (3:7). What is the goal of God's redemptive work? It is eternal life
(Rom 2:7; 5:21; 6:22-23; Gal 6:8). Through justification, the believer takes up
the privileged position of an heir, as Paul often points out (Rom 3:24;
4:13-14; Gal 3:6-29; 4:6-7). The unique thing about God's family is that every
Christian shares this position equally. None is entitled to a greater share
than another, for the object of inheritance is eternal life (compare Mt 19:29;
Lk 18:18). But the inheritance is yet to be received, so it remains an object
of hope. Nevertheless, the certainty of God's past acts in Christ guarantees the
certainty of what is still to be fully obtained (see above on 1:2).
Consequently,
Christians can boldly live the kind of life prescribed in verses 1 and 2,
because God has intervened in human history to bring about a change. The whole
salvation complex—rebirth and renewal, justification and hope—is reality,
grounded in the historical events of Christ's ministry and death/resurrection
and in the outpouring of the Holy Spirit. But to experience the new reality,
the believer must actively decide to step forward; the reality of the Christian
possibility is not experienced through reciting a creed but by performing it in
faith.
Asbury Bible Commentary
A. Saved and Justified
by God (3:3-7)
As
if the phrase true humility toward everyone were in his mind, Paul reflects on
the time prior to God's salvation. The use of we'clearly shows that Paul
includes himself. The description in 3:3 of the person without Christ vividly
demonstrates why we need a Savior. Note how God's kindness and love for all
people (niv love is an inadequate translation of philanthrōpia) are exactly the
right remedy. Appeared is simple past action; it has already taken place (see
2:11).
God's
appearance brought salvation on the basis of his mercy, not our righteousness.
In the Greek text, “not by works of righteousness” appears first in the clause
and thus receives the emphasis. Washing of rebirth may refer to baptism, but
since this phrase is linked grammatically with renewal by the Holy Spirit, the
figurative cleansing by the Spirit in the believer's life is intended. Vv. 5-6
clearly show the triune God in operation, God generously pouring out the Holy
Spirit through Jesus Christ. The result is justification—made as if we had
never sinned—and inheritance of the hope of eternal life. How beautifully this
hope corresponds with “the blessed hope” of 2:13. When comparing 2:11-14 with
3:3-7, we see 2:11-14 stressing the lifestyle that God desires and 3:3-7
providing the theology that backs up that lifestyle.
The Bible Panorama
Titus 3
V 1–2: ACCEPT AUTHORITY Church members are to
be told to accept lawful authority and to be ready to do good works. They must
live peaceably and gently, speaking no evil and showing humility to all men.
V 3–8: CONVERSION CONDUCT Paul reminds Titus of
the shameful and wicked ways that he and they lived before coming to know
Christ. But God’s kindness and love in Christ have changed that, through His
mercy, His cleansing and the work of His Holy Spirit in response to faith in
Jesus Christ. Because of God’s grace, which has justified repentant sinners,
they should now maintain good works, and Titus must teach this because it is
good and profitable for them all.
V 9–11: DAMAGING DIVISIONS Foolish disputes and
unprofitable discussions which are going nowhere, and lead to strife, are to be
avoided. A person causing division is to be warned twice only. If he still
continues in his selfishness and sin, he is then to be rejected. The implication
is that church discipline should then exclude him until repentance and faith
are manifested.
V 12–14: SUPPORTING
SAINTS
Paul looks forward to a visit from Titus soon, and briefs him on the
itineraries of some of his co-labourers in the gospel. He urges Titus to make
sure that God’s saints are supported in their needs, lacking nothing. The
church people must also maintain good works to meet their needs, and thus be
fruitful.
V 15: GRACIOUS GREETINGS Again, Paul ends one of
his letters by sending the greetings of all with him and asking Titus to greet
all who love him in the faith. They need what he wants for them, namely God’s
grace.
Dictionary of Bible
Themes
6678 justification, and
Jesus Christ’s work
On
account of the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, the demands of the law
of God are met, and believers are granted the status of being righteous in the
sight of God.
Justification
is grounded in the death of Jesus Christ
Jesus
Christ’s death shields believers from God’s wrath Ro 5:9 See also Ro 3:24; Ro
4:25; Ro 5:18; 1Pe 2:24
Jesus
Christ’s death fulfils the demands of the law of God Ro 8:3-4 See also Ro
3:25-26; Gal 3:13; 1Jn 2:2
Justification
is grounded in the resurrection of Jesus Christ
Ro
4:25; Ro 10:9-10 See also Ac 2:22-39; Ac 4:10-12; Ac 17:30-31; 1Pe 3:18-21
Justification
means believers are reckoned as righteous through the death of Jesus Christ
Ro
5:19; 1Co 1:30; 2Co 5:21 See also 1Co 6:9-11; Php 3:8-9 The term “imputation”
is used to refer to the process by which God treats believers as being
righteous in his sight on account of Jesus Christ’s death.
Justification
is received by faith
Ro
1:17 pp Gal 3:11 See also Hab 2:4; Ro 5:1; Eph 2:8
The
example of Abraham Ge 15:6 See also Ro 4:1-5,9-22; Gal 3:6-9,16-18
The
example of David Ro 4:6-8; Ps 32:1-2
Apostolic
teaching on the need of faith for justification Ac 13:39 See also Ro
3:22,25,27-30; Ro 4:5; Ro 5:1; Ro 9:30-32; Ro 10:10; 1Co 6:11; Gal 2:16; Gal
3:8,14; Eph 2:8
Justification
is a gift of God’s grace
Ro
3:24 See also Ro 5:15-17; Ro 8:33; Tit 3:7
Not
by works or the law Gal 3:11 See also Ro 3:20; Ro 4:5; Gal 2:16,21; Gal
3:2-5,24; Gal 5:4-6; Eph 2:8-9
1.
Justification means
believers are reckoned as righteous through the death of Jesus Christ
2
Corinthians 5:17-21 New International Version - UK (NIVUK)
17
Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come:[a] the old has
gone, the new is here! 18 All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself
through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: 19 that God was
reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting people’s sins against
them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation. 20 We are therefore
Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We
implore you on Christ’s behalf: be reconciled to God. 21 God made him who had no sin to be sin[b] for us, so that in him we
might become the righteousness of God.
2.
Justification is
received by faith
Romans
1:16-17 New International Version - UK (NIVUK)
16
For I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God that brings
salvation to everyone who believes: first to the Jew, then to the Gentile. 17 For in the gospel the righteousness of God
is revealed – a righteousness that is by faith from first to last,[a] just as
it is written: ‘The righteous will live by faith.’[b]
3.
Justification is a gift
of God’s grace
Romans
3:22-26 New International Version - UK (NIVUK)
22
This righteousness is given through faith in[a] Jesus Christ to all who believe.
There is no difference between Jew and Gentile, 23 for all have sinned and fall
short of the glory of God, 24 and all are justified freely by his grace through
the redemption that came by Christ Jesus. 25 God presented Christ as a
sacrifice of atonement,[b] through the shedding of his blood – to be received
by faith. He did this to demonstrate his righteousness, because in his
forbearance he had left the sins committed beforehand unpunished 26 – he did it to demonstrate his righteousness
at the present time, so as to be just and the one who justifies those who have
faith in Jesus.
Let
us now examine, the word Imputation
Dictionary of Bible
Themes
6674 imputation
The
term “imputation” is used to refer to the process by which God treats believers
as being righteous in his sight on account of Jesus Christ’s death.
The
crediting by God to believers with righteousness on account of Jesus Christ.
Paul argues that Abraham did nothing which earned him the status of being
righteous in the sight of God. Rather, Abraham believed the promise of God, and
for that reason was granted the status of being righteous before God. Likewise,
all who trust in Jesus Christ have righteousness imputed to them—that is,
reckoned as if it was theirs. Imputation should not be confused with
impartation. Believers are not made right ethically (impartation), but put
right relationally (imputation). What God changes is not the character of
believers but their legal standing before him. From this new position,
believers are called to co-operate with the Holy Spirit in sanctification so
that their character increasingly reflects their new standing.
4.
Believers’ sins are
imputed to Jesus Christ
2
Corinthians 5:21 New International Version - UK (NIVUK)
21
God made him who had no sin to be sin[a] for us, so that in him we might become
the righteousness of God.
Encyclopedia of The
Bible
SALVATION
The NT employs four terms which when taken
together give a most comprehensive portrayal of the saving work of the Triune
God. These are: sacrifice, propitiation, reconciliation and redemption.
Sacrifice views salvation as the answer to man’s guilt; propitiation as the
answer to God’s righteous wrath; reconciliation as the removal of the ground of
God’s alienation from fallen man; and redemption as a release from bondage to
sin.
a.
Sacrifice (Gr. θυσία, G2602). This word
which is used approximately thirty-five times in the NT is squarely rooted in
the OT. The most frequent single occurrence of the term in the NT is found in
the Book of Hebrews. The primary though not exclusive meaning of the term in
Scripture is that of an expiation of guilt, atonement. (See esp. Heb 5:1; 7:27;
8:3; 9:9, 23, 26; 10:1, 5, 8, 11, 12, 26; 11:4; 13:15, 16.)
b.
Propitiation (Gr. ἱλασμός, G2662). This word is
used only three times in the NT (Rom 3:25; 1 John 2:2; 4:10). The RSV has
rendered all three texts with the word “expiation”
which has a more restrictive meaning. It would appear that behind the use of ἱλασμός, G2662, there is the
twofold sense of propitiation and expiation. The particular stress of the word
is prob. best taken as indicating God’s diverting of His
righteous wrath from the sinner through the atoning work of His Son.
Propitiation does not imply that the Son had to win over an incensed Father to
an expression of love toward man; rather, it was precisely because of His
eternal love that the Father sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins.
c.
Reconciliation (Gr. καταλλάσσω, G2904). This word is
used in only four Pauline passages (Rom 5:10, 11; 2 Cor 5:18-20; Eph 2:16; Col
1:20-22). Reconciliation was a work of God in Christ whereby He removed the
ground of His holy alienation from the sinner and thus did not impute his sins
against him. The subjective change of the sinner’s attitude toward God is a
result of the historical event of the cross, the objective work of
reconciliation accomplished by Christ.
d.
Redemption (Gr. ἀπολύτρωσις, G667). This word
speaks the language of purchase and ransom. Redemption is the securing of a
release by the payment of a price. In the theological sense, redemption means
the release of the shed blood of Christ. Redemption from sin embraces the
several aspects from which sin is to be viewed scripturally: (1) redemption
from its guilt (Rom 3:24), (2) redemption from its power (Titus 2:14), (3)
redemption from its presence (Rom 8:23).
